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לִבְנָה

𐤋𐤁𐤍𐤄

libnâh

H3840 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לבן to be white, to make white, whiten

Definition

A surface or layer of white (or light-colored) stone; specifically, a paved area or pavement often of tiles or slabs, typically light-colored or 'white,' and sometimes connoting smoothness or clearness. The term may also refer to a specific material used for paving, such as brick or tile, emphasizing its whiteness or brightness.

Semantic Range

white stone, pavement, paved work, tile, surface of whitish stone (especially as a flooring or platform), appearance of luminous or clear paved stone (in visions)

Root / Etymology

Root לָבַן (l-b-n), meaning 'to be white.' לִבְנָה (libnâh) is a feminine noun formed with the ל-ב-נ root, with the -ה ending. The term evolves from the basic concept of 'whiteness' to designate an object or surface characterized by its pale or clear appearance, especially in contexts of stone or brickwork.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, לִבְנָה is used notably in Exodus 24:10 to describe the 'paved work' beneath the Elohim of Israel, resembling a clear or luminous stone (traditionally rendered as 'sapphire stone' but noting the likeness to the 'body of heaven in its clearness'). The imagery emphasizes both the material brightness and the crafted, paved nature of the surface. In Ezekiel 1:22, the term is used with a similar sense of brilliance and translucency. The emphasis is less on transparency in the modern sense and more on brightness, clarity, and perhaps slight translucency, fitting ancient conceptions of precious or finely crafted paving material. The primary sense is a special, often sacred or monumental, white/pale paved surface. English renderings such as 'pavement,' 'tile,' or 'paved work' capture some but not all of the Hebrew nuance: the focus on whiteness or luminosity is usually lost. The noun is not used for ordinary household or city pavements but is reserved for constructed, often divinely-evocative, surfaces in sacred or visionary contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from לָבַן; properly, whiteness, i.e. (by implication) transparency; paved.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לבן (l-b-n) — to be white, to make white, whiten

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3828 לְבוֹנָה frankincense resin
H3829 לְבוֹנָה to Lebonah
H3835 לָבַן I will whiten
H3836 לָבָן the white one
H3837 לָבָן with Laban

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3840-01 לִבְנַ֣ת livenat HNcfsc a pavement white-stone pavement of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3840-01 Exodus 24:10 לִבְנַ֣ת livenat HNcfsc a pavement white-stone pavement of
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